Karachi Kings captain David Warner led from the front with a commanding unbeaten 89, guiding his side to a nine-wicket victory over Quetta Gladiators in their final PSL 2026 league match at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on April 25.
Chasing 196, Karachi made a brisk start as Warner and Jason Roy added 58 runs for the opening wicket. Warner took control early, targeting Abrar Ahmed in the fifth over with three fours and a six. Roy fell in the last over of the powerplay, but Reeza Hendricks joined Warner to keep the momentum intact.
Abrar briefly slowed things down with a tight over after the powerplay, but Usman Tariq was taken apart in a 16-run over as Warner brought up his half-century. The Kings continued to progress steadily, with Warner and Hendricks building a century stand to put the chase firmly in their grasp.
With 34 required from the last four overs, Hendricks accelerated, striking Alzarri Joseph for three sixes and a four in the 17th over. Tariq delayed the finish slightly by taking the game into the 19th over, but Hendricks sealed the result with a boundary, finishing unbeaten on 87 from 48 balls. Warner remained not out on 89, having faced the same number of deliveries.
Rossouw’s 90 Sets Up Gladiators’ Total
Earlier, Quetta Gladiators posted 195 for 6 after being asked to bat first, thanks largely to Rilee Rossouw’s 90.
The innings began poorly as Hasan Ali struck twice in the opening over, removing Shamyl Hussain and Khawaja Nafay for ducks. Rossouw then joined forces with captain Saud Shakeel to rebuild, counterattacking with a series of boundaries as Quetta reached 58 for 2 at the end of the powerplay.
The pair extended their stand to 148, with both batters bringing up half-centuries. Rizwanullah eventually broke the partnership by dismissing Shakeel, and Abbas Afridi followed up in the next over to end Rossouw’s innings on 90.
Dinesh Chandimal added late impetus with an unbeaten 30 off 17 balls, helping Quetta reach 195 for 6 in their 20 overs.
Playoff Hopes Hang in Balance
Despite setting a competitive total, Quetta Gladiators were unable to defend it and finished their campaign with three wins from 10 matches, missing out on the playoffs.
Karachi Kings, meanwhile, completed their league fixtures with a strong win but must now rely on other results to determine their playoff qualification.
Brief Scores:
Quetta Gladiators 195/6 (Rilee Rossouw 90, Saud Shakeel 57; Rizwanullah 2-28) lost to Karachi Kings 199/1 in 18.3 overs (David Warner 89*, Reeza Hendricks 87*) by 9 wickets
